Needle sharpening device



July 27, 1937.

w. c. FOSTER NEEDLE SHARPENING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1936 INVENTOR l4 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 27, 1937 NEEDLE SHARPENING DEVICE Winfred 0. Foster, Hollis, N. Y.

Application July 18,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to needle sharpening devices and refers particularly to devices adapted for the sharpening of hypodermic needles.

t is evident that as hypodermic needles are employed in the piercing of human flesh and tissues, their cutting edges must be of extreme sharpness, free from imperfections, serrations and roughened edges.

It is further evident that as the cutting edges of a hypodermic needle are positioned obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the needle, these cutting edges must be in a perfect plane with respect to each other, in order that the flesh or tissues will not be torn during the insertion of the needle.

The delicacy of the operation of hypodermic injections and the dangers of unnecessary pain and injury to the person receiving the treatment re quire that the greatest accuracy be employed in their sharpening operations.

It is further evident that a hypodermic needle should be sharpened after each application, simple, ready and effective means should be at the command of physicians for this purpose, in order to avoid the expense incident to their unnecessary purchase.

In the present usual practiceof sharpening hypodermic needles, the operator holds the needle between his fingers and rubs the oblique cutting edges upon an abrasive stone.

Tl'lis method, however, is ineffective and dangerous. The operator has no definite means of determining that that plane of the cutting edges is in alignment with the plane of the abrasive, and during the sharpening movement, the needle is raised or lowered, or rotated slightly, thus producing an irregular edge plane which will not possess a clean cutting edge and hence, will not produce a clean cutting eifect when injected inthe flesh.

Further, it has beenfound scientifically that present employed angular position of the plane of the cutting edge with respect to the longitudinal axis of the needle is the correct one for proper use of the needle and that any deviation therefrom reduces the efficiency of the needle and endangers its successful application;'and, hence it is evident that any sharpening operation must be of such a character as to retain this angular position of the cutting edge plane.

In order that a sharpening device for hypodermic needles may accomplish thesedesirable and necessary results, it must be of such construction that the operator may readily adjust the plane of the abrasive element in exact paral- 1936, Serial No. 91,267

lelism with the plane of the cutting edges and that such position be positively retained during the entire sharpening process.

A consideration of my specification and its accompanying drawing, in which similar parts are 5 indicated by similar numerals, will indicate that my invention overcomes the above mentioned diiiiculties and accomplishes the above mentioned, and other desirable results; and presents means whereby hypodermic needles can be easily, 10 accurately and uniformly sharpened.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one form of the device of my invention,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one form of the device of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side View of the device of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a front end view of the device of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section through the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The particular form of my device shown in the accompanying drawing consists of a base member having the top II the bottom II, the sides I2, I2 and the ends I3, l3.

The two slide-guards, each consisting of a channel-shaped member having the base I4 and the two side flanges I5, I5 are positioned opposite each other at an end portion of the base Ill, the flanges I5, I5 being inserted within appropriate slots in the sides of the base It], each said slide-guards being attached to the base II] by means of a nail IE, or other suitable means.

A platform It and a superimposed abrasive plate B8 are positioned between the said channelshaped member and vertically movable therebetween.

An annular rotatable member I9, capable of vertical movement, is positioned within an an- 0 nular opening 20 of the base Ill, midway between the two said slide guards. A screw 2! passes through the platform IT, a washer 22 and into the annular member I9, connecting the three members, the unthreaded portion of the screw 2 I, 4 being within the platform I! and the washer 22.

The end I3 of the base has an inclined opening 23 through which the extended threaded raising arm 24 is passed and screwed into the annular rotatable member I9.

The rearward portion of the rotatable member I9 has a recess 25, within which is a coiled spring 26 and a ball 21, the latter being pressed upon the base member by means of said spring.

horizontal plane.

A removable clip I la. retains the abrasive member I 3 upon the platform I1.

It will be seen from the above, that when the raising arm 24 is moved along the slot 23, the annular member will revolve and move in a vertical direction, this movement also moving the platform I! and the abrasive member l8 in a vertical direction, the spring 253 and the ball 21 preventing the vertically moving parts from horizontal vibration.

Clo-operating with that portion of my device above described, is a needle-holding element consisting of a U-shaped casing 28 open at one end and at the top and having a bottom member 29. The closed end 39 of the U-shaped casing has a threaded opening carrying the threaded tilting member 3i.

Pivotally carried by the pivot 32 passing through the two sides of the casing is a tiltable needle holder consisting of the element having the parallel sides 33 and 34, the perpendicular end 35 and the inclined end 36. Fixedly attached to the end 35 by means of a screw 3'! is an elongated plate 38 and a corresponding pli- T able, flexible plate 39, each of which has an elongated vertical slot 48, aligned with respect to each other.

It is evident from the above that the movement of the tilting member 3!, will cause a movement of the needle-holder thus causing a changing of the angle of the face of the top 33 with respect to the plane of the top face of the abrasive member l8.

The operation of the device is as follows- A hypodermic needle is placed upon the upper face 33 of the needle holding element, the angular base t! of which abuts said face and the needle portion 4-2 of which extends through the slot M3, M3 in the plates 38 and 39, the cutting edges of the needle thus being in a downwardly The needle-holding portion of the device is then placed upon the rearward upper face of the base of the device, with the needle extended over the abrasive member l8. By moving the member 24, the abrasive plate 53 is raised until it almost touches the end portion of the needle 32. The member 3! is then revolved until the cutting edges of the needle are in a plane parallel to the upper face of the abrasive member, the member is moved until the upper face of the abrasive member abuts upon the cutting edge of the needle and the needle holding member is then given a rotary movement upon the upper base face, thus giving a uniform abrasive, or sharpening, effect to the entire cutting edges of the needle.

The needle can be held in place upon the holder during the sharpening operation by a pressure of a finger of the operator upon the upper face of the needle base 4|.

It will thus be seen that the operator can readily and accurately place the plane of the cutting edges of the needle in the plane of the upper face of the abrasive member and then cause the cutting edges and the abrasive member to abut and be retained in this relative position during the sharpening process.

It will also be noted that my device is capable of employment with needles of any size and length and that it is capable of being positioned to agree with any angular position of the cutting edges with respect to the horizontal axis of a needle.

I do not limit myself to the particular size, shape, number, material or position of parts as shown and described, as these are given solely for the purpose of clearly describing the device of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a device adapted for sharpening hypodermic needles, in co-operative combination, a base, an abrasive element capable of vertical movement with respect to said base, cam means for imparting a vertical movement to said abrasive element, means adapted to prevent said abrasive element from horizontal movement; a needle holding member, pivotal means adapted to retain a needle in said needle holder, means carried by said needle holder adapted tochange the angular position of a needle within said needle holder with respect to the plane of the upper face of said abrasive element and means adapted to maintain the cutting edges of said needle in movable abutment upon said abrasive element.

2. In a device adapted for sharpening hypodermic needles, in co-operative combination, a base, an abrasive element capable of vertical movement with respect to said base, means for imparting a vertical movement to said abrasive element, means adapted to prevent said abrasive element from horizontal movement; a needle holding member, pivotal means adapted to retain a needle in said needle holder, means carried by said needle holder adapted to change the angular position of a needle within said needle holder with respect to the plane of the upper face of said abrasive element and means adapted to maintain the cutting edges of said needle in movable abutment upon said abrasive element.

WINFRED C. FOSTER. 

